The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-19
WASH MCCORMICK.
The MIssOuIa Statesman has Something
to say about the Present Adj
mInisfratiOn.

When the President was in Chicago
the Daily News contained letters from
statesmen and prominent politicians in
every state and territory in the Union as
to the wisdom OF his administration
| The only expression from Montana was
from the pen of Major Mccormick of
Missoula, member of the Democratic
National committee. The letter in full
is herewith given:
DEAR sIR:--The general features of the
administration are most heartily ap-
proved by our people, without regard to
politics but there are some special
features particularly applicable to the
western states and territories that have
not given such general satisfaction. l
refer more particularly to the policy
pursued in relation to the sale AMI dis.
position of the public lands and the cut
ting of timber upon the public domain.
While there is but little doubt that
fraud has been prepetrated in some of
the western states and territories in the
acquisition of titles to lands subject to
entry under the various laws of the gov
ernment. our people have been subject
to great inconvenience and their bus
ness relations greatly embarrassed by
the Withholding of patents and the
suspension of witnesses until the proofs
upon which these entries were made
had been investigated by special agents
of the land department. Happily, how
ever, these investigations have disclosed
the fact that little or no fraud has been
sprepetrated in Montans, the established
the further fact that the public lands
have Iassed into the hands of actual
and bona-iide settlers.
The great and growing industry of
Montana is the production of the
precious metals. Her mines of gold,
silver, copper and lead, are producing
annually not less than S25.O0O, 900.
These mines require vast quantities of
timber in their working and develop
ment The timber grows upon the
mountains and IN narrow rocky, canyons
fnd. as rule, upon, unsurveyed lands,
to which title cannot be obtained Any
restriction, therefore, of the right to go
upon these lands, TO cut and remove the
timber, except for the purpose of ex-
portation from the territory, forbidden
by the statute, is a practical denial of
the right of the citizen to engage in the
legitimate business of mining, for with
out timber mining cannot be prosecuted
successfully. But the persistent efforts
of our people through their delegate in
Congress has secured from the interior
department more liberal construction
ofthe law than obtained during the irst
year of Mr.. Cleveland's administration,
and there is now practically no obstruc.
tion to the cutting of timber upon the
public lands.
There is still another feature affecting
the territories alone that has called forth
the united protest of our people and
that is the long established policy
adhered to by all preceding administra.
tions of appointing citizens of the states
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